Collapsible picture frame



Feb. 28, 1933. N. M. LURRAIN COLLAPSIBLE PICTURE FRAME Filed Oct. 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR thameZJiflSurram/ ATTORNEYS WITNESSES 1933- N. M. LURRAIN COLLAPSIBLE PICTURE FRAME Filed Oct. 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I Jiihaniel-Jlliliurrazn WITNESSES 5, ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 28, 1933 "NATHANIEL m. LURRAIN, or woonsrnmnnwronx w ooLLArsIBLE rrc ruan FRAME,

Application filed October 14 1932p SeriaL'No. 637,838. a

This invention relates to a combined col-- lapsible easel and collapsible picture frame, the object being to provide a collapsible or knockdown easel which -may 2 be knocked down and rolled for shipment and at the same time provide a picture frame structure which may. be disassembled vand rolled with the easel .when the sameis to be shipped or stored. Another object of the inventionis to provide a collapsible frame which may or may not be part of an easel, the'structure being such thatthe corner structures interlock in such amanner as to hold the parts together by friction while permitting ready (1186117 gagementat any time.

A furtherobject, more specifically, is to provide a knockdown picture frame which maybe madeoutof-paper or sheet metal and cut and folded to produce a frame structure having interlocking corners with the interlocking portions hid. p

Inthe accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of an easel or picture frame disclosingan embodiment of the invention; V

Figure 2 is a front view shown in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the easel and frame knocked down and rolled readyfor storage or shipment; v

Figured is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Figure 2 on the line 4-4:

a Figure 5 is an enlarged front view of one of the corners of the frame shown in Figure 1,. the parts being shown :broken away for illustrating the interior structure;

Figure 6 is a sectional view through Figure 5 on the line 6- -6;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one end of oneof'theframe pieces disclosing certain features of the invention;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of another frameipiece arranged to telescope over part of the frame piece shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is;a perspective view of .the end shown in; Figure 7, the parts being shown in open position;

of the structure Figure, 10 is a perspective View similar to Figure 7 butshowing a modified construction; I.

Figure 11 in P p -flaw Siminrw Figure 9 showing the structure illustrated v in Figure 10.; s Figure 12 is a perspective view of a modified. form of, one end of one of the frame pieces;;and I v Figure 13-is a perspective view of one end of a second frame piece, the same being adapt; ed tointerlock with the structureshown in Figure l2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals; 1 indicates an easel-as a whole,

said easel having a sheet 2 on which pictorial members are arranged or other information. The sheet 2 is provided with a rigid bar 3 atthe upper end and a rigid bar-4 atthe lower end. A The-base'5 is connected atone end to bar 4,]said base accommodating the brace 6 which has one endfitted into a suitable notch in bar 3 and the other end sharpened and fitted into one'of the corrugations in thebase 5.

A metal anchor 8 isconnected at oneend tobrace'6 and at the .otherend' is removably connected to base 5 by pin 9.1 Tliisstructure presents an easel structure which ad p e o' p y adve i ng o oth iatter but ismore or less unfinished; In order;

to secure a desired finish or. pleasing. appearance, 'a frame 10fis arranged around thejedge of the sheet 2, thi's frame being. provided 2 v with a "framebaror part 11 secured tothe lower edge of the sheet 2 by adh esive, as

shown iniFigure 4, whereby it" is really a permanent part of the easel. The frame therbar is shown in Figure-8 but itis to be parts or bars 12,13'and14 are then'assemunderstood that the oppfositeend is the same I except that the angle :is reversed in: order -to match the angleof the;bar'12.: IflLIWll'lJbe noted. that each of the bars-*llito 14iinclusive (is formedfrom sheet material 2 as, .fon in stance, cardboard, .paper or even from this sheet metal. The particular structure shown in the drawings has been made from paper or cardboard covered with an ornamental paper so that the inclined or beveled face 15 V will be more or less ornamental. Thin paper simulating oak or other wood can be readily secured to the other paper or cardboard and then the other paper or cardboard cut out into blanks which are-foldedtoform the structures shown in the drawings.

As illustrated in Figure 8, the bar 14 is provided with a base 16 which is bent at right angles forming an edge 17, which edge in turn is bent to form an inclined front face 15, and this part of the bar 14 is bent at 19 to form the reinforcing and holding flange 20 which issecured to base 16 by adhesive. The front face 15*is cut away at both ends,as indicated by the line 21. Preferably the flange '20 is also cut away in like manner but the base extends tothe corner projection at 22 which is adapted to slide over the end of the base 23 of bar'13. To connect the parts to- 1 gether they are arranged as shown in Figures 7' and 8 and then the bar 14 of Figure 8 is merely forced over the folded connecting block 24, and the parts will appear as shown in Figure '2. i f

Both ends of bar 13 are alike and both. barsi12 'and 14 are designed so that the structure 5 shown in Figure 7 will apply to both ends and also to both bars. As illustrated in this figure, and also in Figure 9, the bar 13" is provided with a base 23- which extends beyond the end of the bar and is creased along lines 25, 26 and 27 so that the parts may be folded along these creases until the block 24 is formed. Base 23 merges into a back edge member 28 which in turn merges into a face member29, which face member is bent at .30 to form, the bracing and holding flange 31, which flange preferably extends to the point substantially in contact with the edge strip 28,. Flange 31' is preferably held in place by adhesive, although thefolded extension or box 24 is not glued.

' When theparts are arranged as shown "in Figure 7 they are in position for use, and the .bar 14has its ends slid thereover to complete the corner of the frame 10. It will-be noted that by reason. of the edge 17, and also the strip 28, the outside of the-frame 10 is of ample depth while "the facemembers 15 and .29 are inclined or beveled to produce a pleasing appearance. Consequently, there is no front strip but merely a bending as, for instance, along the lines 19. V

If desired, .instead of arranging the parts as shownin Figure .9, they could be arranged as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. 'As illustrated particularly in F igure 11, the back 32 is-provided with an'exten'sionwhich is folded to i form the box 24, which coacts with flange 34' to form a rear edge when the parts are folded as shown in Figure 10. The front panel 35 is cut away at 36 so that when the box 24 is folded and flange 34'is folded over flange 33, the box 24 will be exposed through the cut out portion 36 as illustrated in Figure 10.

Figures'12 and 13 shoWvanother-form. of

the invention, wherein the bars 13' and 14: are substantially of the same structure as in theother forms except at-theends. As shown in Figure12, the front panel 29 is cut away at 37, while on the base 23 is arranged a pair of-spacing strips 38 and 39 and a locking,

stripi40 whereby a passageway 41 is provided. Bar 14 is the same as bar 8 except, the end 'where it cut away at 42. The base is cut away at 43whereby a straight tongue, 44' is provided, said tongue being adapted 'to slide into the passageway 41 until the ,cut away edge 42 engages the cutaway edge 37. The

friction of tongue 44 in thepassageway 41 acts to lock-the parts together in the same way that the friction of the box24 acts against the corresponding parts on bar 14. While as a preferable structure the bar 11 is glued or otherwise permanently secured to the bottom edge of sheet 2,it can be made separate and the frame rests against the sheet 2, or

the frame used insome other place or manner, the use not changing the particular structure of the corner pieces or of the body portions of the respective frame parts orfbars.

However, it is very desirable to g-luethe'bot are then disconnected-andplacedparallel with and near bar 11. The base 5 is swung on its pivotalconnection 5"until it is parallel with bar 4. The parts are then rolled to the position shown in Figure 3,-after which they are tied or otherwise held in position until further use is desired. It has been found that after the. parts have been rolled asin Figure 3 they may beplaced in an ordinary composite board tube and stored or: shipped -in this manner without injury. After the parts have been shipped to the desired destination a person merely unrolls the easel and sets same up, as shown in Figure 1. Afterwards the side pieces or bars 12 and 13 are placed in position by sliding over the box 24 of bars I 11 and 14fand the frame is in operative position. v a V As the parts are merely set position and slid out. of position, it will be evident; that all the parts areheld together by; friction,

and that the parts may be quickly assembled formed hollow and triangular shapein cross 7 and disassembled without the use of tools and without injury to the parts.

I claim- 1. A collapsible picture frame comprising a plurality of bars each bar being formed of sheet material folded to produce an inclined face, a base and back wall arranged at right angles to each other, and means having a plurality of friction surfaces for frictionally securing said bars together, said means being arranged at the respective ends of the respective bars.

2. A collapsible picture frame comprising a frame structure having side bars and top and bottom bars, each of the bars being section, certain of said bars having one wall cut away at each end and the others of said bars having a folded extension at each end presenting friction retaining boxes adapted to be inserted into the ends of other bars for holding the respective bars together in assembled relation.

3. A picture frame formed of pasteboard and provided with identical corner structures, each corner structure including a chamfered end in the front face of the respective adjacent bars, and a folded friction box extending from one of the bars and slidingly fitting into the other bar.

4. A collapsible picture frame comprising a plurality of bars, each bar being formed of sheet material folded to present a structure triangular in cross section, said bars at their respective corners having an incline or surface chamfered so as to produce a proper contact when the bars are connected together,

one of the bars at the point of connection 7 having an extending base portion overlapping the base of the other bar, and said other bar having a folded extension presenting a friction box slidingly fitted into the first mentioned bar for frictionally holding the bars together.

5. In a collapsible picture frame formed with a plurality of bars, certain of said bars being formed of sheet material folded into a shape which is substantially triangular in cross section, said last mentioned bars at the ends having one surface chamfered and the other surface provided with an. extension folded so that part thereof will be beneath the chamfered surface and positioned to present a friction box for receiving a mating member.

6. The combination with an easel having a bracing structure including a removable bracing rod, of a picture frame formed of four bars removably connected at their respective ends, one of said bars being connected permanently to the easel.

NATHANIEL M. LURRAIN. 

